Wow––6 trogons in South Fork this morning! My first glimpse was of a plump bird, breast on, perched on a creek boulder. That breast showed a big white crescent, framed above and below by dark, and my first thought was, surely not a Ring Ouzel! … Continue readingFledgling Trogons!
Gila Monster in Portal (Photos by Narca) Gila Monsters have been uncommonly common this season! This is the fourth for me: two in Guadalupe Canyon, and two here, close to Portal. Quite a treat!
…in South Fork! Elegant Trogon male (Photos by Narca) For one, you may glimpse an Elegant Trogon descending to the creek bottom for a drink. This male was hover-sipping from a rill of water spilling between boulders, just as he would hover before a tree … Continue readingAahh, the Benefits of Exercising…
Rick and Vicki Beno graciously invited the Portal-Rodeo community to their home to observe today’s transit of Venus, with the aid of Rick’s very fine telescopes. It was truly a marvel to see the phenomenon so well. From our perspective on Earth, Venus was transiting … Continue readingThe Transit of Venus
Mexican Chickadee at nest (Digiscoped photo by Narca) Although the glamorous trogons draw most birders to southeastern Arizona and the Chiricahua Mountains, the Mexican Chickadee is actually the Chiricahua’s major avian claim to fame––the only bird which does not reside elsewhere in Arizona. In … Continue readingMexican Chickadee
It’s hard to find more stunning, graceful birds than herons and egrets in their breeding plumage––their fancy-dress wear. Here are a couple of recent watercolors of two! Windblown: Great Blue Heron (Watercolor by Narca) Sunstruck: Reddish Egret (Watercolor by Narca) The last few months … Continue readingHerons in Fancy Dress
Alan and I are just back from Midway Atoll, an idyllic coral-fringed trio of islands, where significant history and wildlife converge. I was scouting a tour which WINGS will offer in coming years. Color-drenched Sand Island at Midway Atoll (Photos by Narca) When we step … Continue readingMidway Atoll!
Our next stop is Okoki, famed for its White-winged Ducks––yet another endangered species that finds refuge in Cambodia. We arrive mid-afternoon at this remote site, only about 10 miles from the Laos border. As soon as we pull into the campsite, local guides meet us. … Continue readingOkoki’s White-winged Ducks, and More!
When we were setting up this Cambodia trip through the Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation, and saw the price breakdown for different items, Jim emailed us something to the effect of “and we get a cow, too! What’s that about?” A critically-endangered Red-headed Vulture … Continue readingThe Vulture Restaurant
Anyone considering a trip to Cambodia may be interested in seeing what accommodations at Tmatboey are like. The villagers involved in the ecotourism program were unfailingly helpful and friendly. The cabins are duplexes. Like elsewhere in Cambodia, people are asked to remove their shoes before … Continue readingHome Base at Tmatboey